Following an embarrassing scene yesterday at the opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy secretariat, the party president has submitted a motion to expel National Secretary Major Richard Kachingwe from the party. On Monday 3 December 2012 the National Executive Council will meet to ratify the expulsion of Kachingwe and confirm that the presidency of Nevers Mumba remains intact.
According to a high-placed source within the MMD, Maj. Kachingwe’s impromptu press conference on Saturday during which he attempted to invalidate the presidency of Nevers Mumba was prompted once the national secretary discovered that the party planned to suspend him during an internal investigation called by party MPs.
“Kachingwe’s press conference was all very comical, showing up as he did all alone in a tracksuit as though he had just rolled out of bed,” the source said. ”The national secretary has no powers to invalidate a party president – only the NEC can do that, and given that it was Kachingwe himself who presided over the legitimacy of the last party elections which resulted in Dr. Nevers Mumba becoming party president, it is ridiculous for him to pull such a desperate ploy.”
For several months now, there have been rising complaints and dissatisfaction among the party’s MPs over the performance of the national secretary in terms of transparency of financial resources, the source said, as well as serious concerns over “double dealing” as Kachingwe made frequent visits to State House and appeared to be acting in the interests of the ruling Patriotic Front party. As soon as Kachingwe learned that the party intended to suspend him, he panicked and called for the press conference.
Asked why Dr. Mumba had not acted sooner to expel Kachingwe before such a boiling point, the source indicated that perhaps Dr. Mumba underestimated how threatened the national secretary had felt in face of the accusations by MPs that he was mismanaging party finances while also taking orders from the PF.
The source says that President Mumba very much regrets the actions of MMD youths during the press conference, who roughly pushed Maj. Kachingwe out into the street in full view of television cameras.
“I just spoke with Dr. Mumba last evening, and he strongly condemned the violence, reiterating his plans to issue firm instructions to the youth cadres and hold individuals accountable,” the source said. ”But of course, the government-controlled media has had no interest in reporting these comments – all they want to do is make it seem as though the president has done something wrong, when the problem is all about Kachingwe, and has always been about Kachingwe.”
“I think people will very surprised by the evidence that will come out about what Kachingwe has been doing as national secretary,” the source said, implying that acts of corruption or misappropriation of funds may have taken place during Kachingwe’s tenure as national secretary.
According to the source, the expulsion of Kachingwe will send a strong message to those members of the MMD who have been bought off by the PF, showing that there will be consequences as the former ruling party begins “cleaning house” and purging disloyal members.